If you were to walk into a bar full of tables full of people from different majors, you could tell which people were sociology majors because they would be paying an inordinate amount of attention to those around them, they would be wearing whatever clothes they felt best in, would be calm or maybe a little rowdy (but not obnoxiously so), and would be very effective (and maybe a little explicit) in their language. We may be a little strange, but we like to think of ourselves as unique. Here are some characteristics of a sociology major, and if you can relate to them, you may want to consider changing your major.
1. You’re a professional people watcher
Sociologists study human interaction, and most sociology majors are constantly watching people. It may seem a little creepy, but we enjoy seeing people do weird things, observing them, and watching how they interact with each other. After a while, it becomes a force of habit to just watch people, and it can be pretty fun. People watching is how most sociology majors spend their time in public, whether they realize it or not.
2. You’re a decent writer
Most sociologists have strong communication skills and are constantly writing. Whether they’re just writing down the first thoughts that come to their heads, people watching observations, an article about being a sociologist, or just an email to a friend; sociology requires a lot of writing and can be a sociologist’s strongest skill. Sociology majors need to have good writing skills if they are going to make it through college because most assignments we receive are writing based and would be impossible to complete without these skills.
3. You don’t get angry easily
Sociologists realize that people have flaws and life can be crappy. Because of this, we tend to be pretty level headed and understanding. When something unfortunate happens to a sociologist, we tend to stay optimistic, look on the bright side, reflect on the sometimes depressing situations that we have studied in our classes, and realize that we have it pretty freakin’ good. No matter what happens to us, most of the time it’s better than what is happening to the people we study.
4. You’re nosy
If you ever find yourself listening to the conversation between the two people sitting at the table next to yours or eavesdropping on what that random person next to you on the bus is talking on the phone about, you might want to consider a sociology major. Sociologists and sociology majors are super nosy. We are constantly listening to the people around us, and if what we hear is interesting, we will tell a lot of our friends about it. It’s a weird habit, but it is something we do constantly.
5. You often wonder why people do things
Sociology majors contemplate a lot about human nature. Like why do we shake hands to greet each other, why are serial killers so fascinating to some people, and why do we have different personalities when we are with our different social groups? Some of these things can only be speculated and don’t have real answers, but they are questions that drive our research, drive our conversations, and sometimes drive us crazy.
6. You don’t really care what others think about you
Sociologists and sociology majors are pretty comfortable in their own skin. We realize that we all have flaws, we are all unique, and nobody is perfect. Most of us thoroughly enjoy who we are, are proud of the people we have become, and don’t care what others think about us. We dress, think, and act how we like, and be who we want to be.
Sociology majors enjoy being themselves and observing who others are. It’s as simple as that. We can be a little goofy, loud, cracking jokes, and maybe even aggressively nosey, but we take pride in who we are, and we love seeing who others are. The subjects we study can range anywhere from wildly interesting to incredibly depressing, but we love every second of it. If you are testing out majors and trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, I strongly urge you to consider sociology as your major. It will give you all of the skills you will need for a prosperous career, it will teach you fascinating things about the world we live in and the people who inhabit it, and it will introduce you to some of the best people you have ever met.
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